The Queen Of Sheba

Let us remain standing as we bow our heads for a word of prayer.

O Lord, we are grateful tonight for this opportunity to bring the gospel of Thy precious Son to the peoples. And we pray that You will meet with us tonight, and will make the gospel that was preached by the apostles be made alive tonight in our midst. May every hungry heart be fed with the good things of God. May the sinners be condemned of their unbelief, and accept the Lord Jesus as their personal Saviour. Father, we would pray especially for the sick and the needy; may this be an hour of deliverance for them. We not only pray for those that are present tonight in this great audience, but we would pray for those who are in the radio audience, who were not able to get here tonight by some reason. Let Thy Holy Spirit, O God, come to their bedsides, or wherever they may be, and raise them up from their sickness that they might live and serve Thee. Grant these blessings, in the name of Jesus, we ask it. Amen. You may be seated.

I am just a little hoarse in my voice. I've been speaking this afternoon for some time in an evangelistic service here at the Temple. And then, just coming from other meetings also. And they had some sort of a little bug flying around at home. I don't know what they called it. Those that the doctors cannot name, I think they just call it “virus.” And I don't know what the little fellow's name was, but I'm sure sorry that he tried to get in my throat. Satan must've sent him there, because of this oncoming meeting. I come anyhow, because I know in whom I have believed. And I'm persuaded that He's able to keep that which we have committed to Him against the day.

I found it in my life's journey, and especially in my ministry, that when Satan makes a big fight, he knows there's a great blessing laying ahead. So it's always at those times that we like to go on.

Now, our precious Brother David DuPlessis has just brought a wonderful message, in so much, that I changed my text when I was standing in the room listening to him to just a little short message before we pray for the sick.

The reason that I do this, is to catch the feeling of the spirit of the people. Now, that is essential. We should do that. You can take one man preaching, an evangelist, and let the evangelist who has the anointing sit down, and then the pastor get up to make an altar call, it's hard to do it. You have to catch the spirit of the people.

And I believe that we're living in a great needy time, a needing of the Spirit of God in our churches and among our peoples. And we're trusting that this coming week, the Lord willing, to see a great revival start here at the Angelus Temple, and spread throughout the country. We're praying to God for this.

Now, I want to call your attention to just one scripture found in God's Holy Word, Saint Matthew 12:42. And I was going to speak tonight on the subject of “When The Eagle Stirs Her Nest And Fluttereth Over Her Young.” Being that we're running just a little bit late, maybe that'll keep. I wish to read from this part of the Scripture.

Our Lord had been rebuking many of the people who had been following Him and had seen His great miracles, and still they had not repented. And He was upbraiding the cities that He had been in, in the previous part of this chapter; because in these cities He had performed a sign that all believers should know that was the sign of the Messiah. We spoke on it last evening, and how that those who, seemingly, that God had ordained to eternal life by His foreknowledge, had believed on it; and how that He had drawed His disciples to Him by this thing—that He had performed this sign. And they who was looking for the God-prophet to come, they knew that that was He. But many of them had disbelieved.

And in the previous part of this chapter He was saying to them, after He had performed these works, and they had said that He was an evil spirit ... on Him was a spirit of Beelzebub, which was an evil spirit.

And to make it in words so we would understand, that they believed that the Spirit that He had—that could tell Peter who he was, and what his father's name was, not seeing him before; and could tell Philip where he was before he came to the meeting, and discerned the thoughts of their hearts—they classed it as an evil spirit: a fortune-teller, or some evil devil. And Jesus had told them, “If you speak that against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven you. But when the Holy Ghost is come, to speak against that, it would never be forgiven.”

And we find out that it was just as He said. And He was speaking there, and said, “Thou, Capernaum, which are exalted into heavens, shall be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works had been done in Sodom and Gomorrah that has been done in you, it would've remained until this day.” A degraded, polluted city as Sodom was, and yet Jesus said if them signs would've been done in Sodom, it would've remained.

And we find last night that the sign that He was doing was done by an Angel that was later called God, just outside of Sodom, to Abraham and to Sarah and their host. But He never did that down in Sodom.

And He also referred to Jonah, the prophet. And in all ages God has had men that He could put His hand on to do His work. Now, God chooses men, not machines. He chooses men to work through. He chose the prophets of the Old Testament. He chose His own Son of the New Testament, and the apostles. And on down through the age, He's always had people who would believe Him. God has never been without a witness. Sometimes it's gotten down till just a few. But always, there is a remnant.

And He was referring back to Jonah. And many times we like to say about Jonah, of him being backslidden. Now, I'm not holding up so much for what he did, but I believe that all things work together for good to them that love God.

Sometimes we do things that we do not understand our own doings, if we are led by the Spirit of God. Every child of God in my hearing ... or, hearing of my voice, rather, knows that some times that you do things that you think yourself is ridiculous, when you become so closed in with God, when the Holy Spirit gets you in such a condition till you're fully surrendered to Him.

I've seen men so filled with the devil, until it would take several men to hold them. And then if Satan can put that kind of a power on a man fully surrendered to him, how much more power can the Holy Spirit put on a man that's surrendered to Him: to make a person in a wheelchair rise and walk, to make the shadow of a man dying with cancer on a cot to jump to his feet, screaming under the power of God. For how much stronger is God than the devil?

And Jesus was speaking about Jonah, and He told the story of how it happened. We're all familiar with that story.

And let's stop just for a minute to straighten my expression that I made about Jonah. I do not believe he was backslid. I believe that he was.... He did what God told him not to do, but God knew all the time that he was going to do it, for God's infinite, and He knows all things.

And Jonah was taken out into the sea on his road to Tarshish. And a great storm came up, and they bound his feet and hands, and throwed him out, and a big fish swallowed him; went down to the bottom of the sea, many fathoms deep. And he kept alive for three days and three nights. I believe that to be the truth, for the Word of God said it's the truth.

And we are told, or I have read, that the people of Nineveh were worshippers of idols, and their sins had got great. And one of their gods, especially the god of the sea, was a whale. And it was the god of the sea, because it was the largest specie in the sea.

And the people, their occupation was fishing. And as all of them at their task that morning—drawing in the nets of fishes—and all of a sudden, up comes the god of the sea, opens up his mouth, and the prophet walks out. Sure they repented. It was all in order.

God knows how to do things; we just have to follow. No matter if it seems ridiculous, go do it anyhow, if the Spirit of God is leading.

And they repented in sackcloth and in ashes, because a miracle like that taken place.

And here was Jesus standing there performing the signs of the Messiah, and that generation called it the working of a devil. Jesus said they'll raise up, for they repented with the preaching of Jonah; and they'll rise in the day of the judgment with this generation and condemn it.

Then He goes to the little queen of the South in the days of Solomon. Now, God had give a great gift to Solomon. And anyone who reads the Scriptures knows that when God sends a gift to the earth and the people reject that gift, it's always chaos to that generation. They never prosper. They end up in judgment upon the nations. And if they accept the gift that God sends, it's usually a millennium for those people. They are blessed.

And we know, as Bible readers, that in the days of Solomon was a golden age for Israel. Why? Because that all the people with one accord rallied around that great gift that Solomon had from God.

I wonder what would take place tonight if all the churches in the United States would rally around the gift that God has give us—that is the Holy Ghost, God's gift. What if all the churches would break down their barriers and would rally around that great gift of Godly, brotherly love and the baptism of the Holy Spirit? It would be the greatest defense this nation could have. It would be better than all the scientists, and atomic bombs, and so forth that they could invent.

For that's what God wants us to do, all of us in our different denominations, is to recognize one another as brothers and sisters, rallying around this great gift of God, which is the Holy Ghost, that comes with power and manifestation and demonstrations of His presence. Then there would not be one cruel word spoken against any move of God. We'd all be one, and one great big bundle of Godly love. That's what it's going to take for the church to go in the rapture.

Paul said, “Though I might speak with tongues like men and angels, and have not love, it profits me nothing.” I could discern or have all the wisdom of the Scriptures and know them all, and have faith to move mountains, I am still nothing.

What a disappointment it's going to be at the judgment, when men who's thought that they were all right because they had faith to heal the sick, they had faith to operate a gift, and had great meetings, great evangelistic services, and won souls.... Jesus has forewarned us of those things: “Many will come to me in that day and say, Lord, have I not cast out devils in your name? and in your name done many mighty works?” Then He said He would confess to them, “Depart from me, you workers of iniquity; I never knew you.”

It takes more than the power of gifts. It takes more than joining church. It takes the birth of the Holy Spirit to break down our walls and to unite us together as one great Christian body moving for one objective and one goal.

They did that in the days of Solomon. Why, everybody came by, they would speak of it as something great. Solomon had a gift of discernment—wisdom. And people coming by would say, “Oh, don't you leave (they would say to the passer-by), until you come and see what the Lord our God has done for us.”

Would not that be wonderful to hear it again tonight? “Come and see! Our God is a living God!”

The news made headlines. The only way they had to send news then was from lip to ear. And that news swept out all over the world, the known world, that there was a great God up in Israel, who was manifesting Himself through His servant Solomon. And all the people with one accord was rallying around it. Unity. There's power in unity.

Then the news finally come to the little queen, all the way across the Sahara Desert, way down in the utmost parts of the known world of that day, down into Sheba. Why, every traveler would come by that's passed through Israel would say, “Oh, you should go up there and see those people! Why, they're just as bold as they can be. They know there's not a flaw about their religion.”

That's the way we want to believe it. There's nothing wrong with the Holy Spirit. It's a perfect gift of God to the church.

And they would keep speaking about the great things that Solomon would do.

Now, faith cometh by what? Hearing, hearing the Word of God. And you know, when this word kept coming to this little queen, she begin to believe that it was the truth, and she begin to thirst to go find out about it.

Oh, Jesus said, “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt has lost its savor (or its strength) it's henceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and trod under the feet of man (made roads out of).”

Well, I do not wish to be critical, but to a certain degree we are letting this great blessing go to that. The strength of the Holy Spirit should be in every member of the church. “What do you mean, strength?” The power of the resurrection. The life that Jesus gave for the church should be operating in every member of it—the body. The strength. Salt will only save if it contacts. But it must contact. And if the church gets that burden on their heart to contact someone, get someone saved, then the strength's coming back into the church again and into the people.

And this little woman.... First place, she had a lot of difficults. The odds, as we would call it in the world, was against her. The first place, she was a woman. And then, she was a pagan, a worshipper of idols. And being in her position, the queen, she'd have to ask release from her own church before she could go up and attend that revival.

Well, you can imagine what the pagan priest would say to her. “Now look, my dear; do not be carried away with such little fantastic things. If there was any God to be made manifest, we would have it right here in Sheba. Our church would have it. We'd be the ones that was doing it.”

If that isn't a good attitude towards many peoples today. I trust that you don't think I'm criticizing. I'm just making a declaration of facts.

Now, notice. And she longed to go. And he would.... They'd go get out the scrolls and say, “Now, looky here. This great god of ours is so-and-so....”

She'd say, “I heard my grandmother talk about that. And she said she heard her grandmother talk about it. But all we have is some written words of a god that once existed. Where is he today? They tell me that those people up there in Israel has got a living God, who's living among them, operating through them. I want to see it!” “Blessed are they that do hunger and thirst: for they shall be filled.”

She made ready. She was a sensible woman. She ladened some animals down with gold, and silver, and frankincense, and many great stones of great price. Let's think that she said this in her heart: “I'm not going to sit down here in Sheba and just be a wet rag. If they've got a revival going on that manifests the presence of a living God, I'm going up to find about it. For if they've got that among them, we haven't got it among us. And I want to stop these creeds, and find where there is something that can talk back!” Bless that woman's heart. She was hungering and thirsting for God.

And she ladened these animals with these gifts, and perhaps she said this: “I'm going up. I ain't going to take nobody else's word. I'm going to find out for myself. If it's the truth, I will support it. If it isn't the truth, I will bring my gifts back.” That's a good idea.

If God's in it, put everything behind it you got: your soul, your heart, your mind, your talent. All that you've got, give it to the glory of God. If He isn't God, then let it alone and find out where there is a God. If it isn't the truth, let it alone; find out what is truth.

So then she had to cross the Sahara Desert. Now, this company of.... She had a few guards, eunuchs from the temple, a few maids to wait on her. Do you know how long it would take to cross the desert from Sheba to Jerusalem by camel? Takes three months. No wonder Jesus said she'll stand in the day of judgment and condemn this generation! Why, some people in Los Angeles won't drive a Cadillac up here to hear about it. Look what she had to do: come across the Sahara Desert on the back of a camel. But there was something in her heart thirsting to find out if there was a God, and if He lived and He lived in His people.

When you get to thirsting like that, there's nothing going to hold you away from it. I don't care what they call the people; they've been called all kinds of names. So was Jesus called “Beelzebub.” Don't make any difference what the people says; it's what God is saying.

And so she took off. Here's something else had to confront her: The children of Ishmael was on the desert, fleet-footed riders, robbers, murderers. Well, what a prey that would be for them. Why, that great band of men could ride in on that little company and mop it out in a few moment's time. And look at the thousands of dollars of money and wealth she had on these camels. Why, it was a set-up for them.

But, you know what? Her faith and desire to see the kingdom of God, God stopped it for her. He made a way for her.

And I say to both visible and invisible audience, if your heart is so hungering and thirsting to come to God, God will make a way for you to get to Him. He's always did it, and He always will.

She never took the second thought. If you take the second thought, saying, “Well, now, wait a minute. If the Holy Spirit would come upon me the way it does some of those people, and my boss tomorrow would let out a few curse words standing in my presence, why, you mean I might walk up to him and have to tell him, 'Now, here, that's not right for you to do that. You're cursing my Lord. I don't appreciate that.' He might fire me.” You just let the Holy Spirit come on you once, God will take care of the rest of it. He will have everything prepared. Don't take no thought for tomorrow. Tomorrow will take thought for the things of tomorrow. Today is the day.

She was determined. She got on these camels, and they had to travel perhaps by night because the desert was so hot in daytime. Pressing on. Satan on every little mirage out in the desert saying, “You can't make it; it's false; there's no need of going. Why, you're laughed at; you're excommunicated from your church. What if you get up there and start acting like those people? Well then you'd be throwed out sure enough. And think of your prestige; you're a great person here in Los Ang... or, Sheba. You have a great name. You must remember you come from a great high standard of people. And here you're going with a bunch of polluted up there in Israel. Why, you shouldn't do that.”

But she was determined. There was something inside of her moving her! The deep was calling to the deep! Something calling to.... She was thirsting and hungering for a taste of the righteousness of Almighty God. She'd pull through anything to get to it.

She finally arrived at the gate. Now, she didn't come to stay just for one night; or sit in and wait till the pastor preached a little bit, and said something was against her theology, and then she'd pick up her hat and go home. That's the modern trend of it. “If I'll go over there.... But just let him say one thing that's against our creed, I will get right up....” That shows poor raising to begin with. Then, she said, “I'll just go in and if I don't like the way they conduct the services, I will take my camels and turn back.” Jesus never would've said about her what He did if she had had that attitude.

If you come to criticize, the devil's going to show you plenty to criticize. If you come to find fault, the devil's going to show you plenty of fault. But if you come hungering and thirsting for God, the angels of God will direct you to the spot to find it.

She unloaded her camels out in the parking lot. She went in with this determination, “I'm going to stay till I am satisfied and convinced whether it's right or wrong. I've heard about these things, now I'm going in to find out.” No doubt but what she brought many scrolls, reading the Hebrew language, and so forth, of the promises of this Hebrew God. See if what Solomon was talking about was corresponding to the Scriptures that this God had made promises of these things. So she had a general conception of what it was going to be.

And any man that.... Any man at all that reads the Bible could walk into a church, in ten minute's time could almost tell whether it's right or wrong. As I said this afternoon, “It wasn't so from the beginning.”

They left Jesus at Nazareth ... or, at Jerusalem at the Feast of Pentecost. If the first branch, which was in the vine, brought forth a Pentecostal branch, the second branch is like the first one, because it's getting its life from the same resource. And if we are in Christ, and He is the vine and we are the branches, this church should be another Pentecostal church filled with the Holy Ghost, and dominated by the Spirit of God. We left Him at Pentecost. We got to go back.

She had read, found out what Jehovah was, what His Word was. Search the hearts, the discerner of the spirit, promising that some day a great God-prophet would come that would be the Redeemer, and He'd give gifts to men, and so forth. She had an idea what it would be.

So I can see her comb her hair, and fix her clothes just right, to look nice. She goes into the church, as it was, that morning, the courts of Solomon. And the people ... the trumpets were playing, the music was beautiful. And she sits down to listen.

And after a while, out come Pastor Solomon. And they had some cases lined up for him. And when one came before him, what a knowledge of discernment he had! He knew, somehow, what to tell these people.

I'd imagine she kind of scratched her head and said something like this: “Say, there must be something to this.” Another case come, and another case; the days passed. Finally her prayer card was called, or she got into the line. And when she got.... She wasn't just going to ... she was going to wait till her number was called. She was going to stay there and look it over. And when she got up before Solomon, she looked at him; he's just a man. But the Bible said that there was nothing hid from Solomon about the woman. The Spirit of discernment was on Solomon, and he told her all the things that she desired.

What did she say? Did she want to class him Beelzebub? Certainly not. She stood right out, being a pagan heathen, stood right out amongst all the people, and she said, “All that I have heard has been the truth. And more than I have heard,” for she'd seen it with her own eyes, and the miracle had been performed on her. And she said, “Blessed is the men that stands here by you day by day, to see these things happen. Blessed is your cup bearers. Blessed are those which are associated with you that stand in your presence and to see great works of the living God.”

Jesus said, because she did that she will stand in the judgment with that generation of theologians and condemn them, “for she came from the utmost parts of the world to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.”

Solomon just had a gift. Jesus was the giver of the gift. And the same Jesus, when He was on earth, said, “The works that I do shall you do also. A little while and the world sees me no more, yet ye shall see me. I will be with you, even in you, to the end of the world (not the age of the apostles, but the end of the world). The world won't see me no more, but ye shall see me.” How long? To the end of the world. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever.

And after two thousand years of Bible teaching, and scholars, and schools teaching it, how are we going to escape the wrath of the damnation of the wrath of God when this generation is called into view? This nation is ripe for judgment. We will never escape it. Remember, I speak in the name of the Lord. We are doomed! She's past repenting. She's gone!

The only thing that the Holy Spirit's trying to do is call out those children, “Come out from among them!” We've had Billy Grahams, and Oral Robertses, and great men who's crossed this nation and done everything in the book nearly, and the people still sit paralyzed.

In Louisville, Kentucky, a few months ago, there was a little lady come down through one of the ten cent stores. She was taking things and showing them to a little baby that she had in her arms, about three or four years old. The little fellow just sat and stared. And after while she picked up a little thing that jingled, and she shook it. The little fellow just stared. And she'd caused such a commotion, until the people in the store had noticed her odd acting. Then she just collapsed as she went over the counter. And she begin to scream, “Oh, no, no! He's no better!”

And some lovely people walked up and said, “What is wrong?”

She said, “My little boy. A few months ago, he just sat staring. It just come on him all at once, and he doesn't seem to pay any attention to things that he should listen to, that little boys of his age should be interested in.” Said, “I took him to the doctor; the doctor said he's better.” But said, “He isn't better.” And she begin to weep.

And I just wonder if that isn't something like the Pentecostal church today, that God shook every spiritual gift before them that He can, trying to attract their attention, to come together, love one another as He prayed that we might be one, that we would love one another. Shaking His gifts, and we sit and look as if we were paralyzed.

I got two little girls sitting back there, Rebekah and Sarah. They're both daddy's little girls. When I go out, why, they're always waiting for me to come back. They love daddy. And you know how daddy loves them.

There's a little parable: One morning I'd come in early, and the kiddies had waited long. And I was late, so they had to go to bed. Their mother put them to bed. And I couldn't rest that morning, so I got up early, and sitting out in living room in a chair. I'd had meetings, and I was so worn-out, I just couldn't sleep. And I'd got up early, sitting in the chair. After while I heard a scramble in the children's bedroom. Becky had woke up, and she wondered where daddy ... if he'd got in. Here she come through the house just as hard as she can. Behind her come her little sister, about so tall.

Now, Becky was big. She was about thirteen, long-legged and skinny. Sarah's a little chumpy fellow, her pajamas feet about twice the size they ought to be. She was a falling over most everything in the house. And Becky come and jumped right a-straddle of my leg, and her big long legs hung down to the floor. She could balance herself pretty well.

I think about like the churches sometime. They're older than this move of God, the Pentecostal. And they may have both feet on the ground. That's all right. We appreciate that.

And she put her arms around me to hug me real tight. She said, “My daddy!” And when she heard Sarah her little sister coming, she turned and looked at Sarah. She said, “Sarah....” Sarah reminded me of this little church that's just started. You know, it isn't very old. Sometimes it gets up in the air, and down on the ground, and flopping around, in and out. She said, “Sarah, I want you to know one thing: I was here first, and I've got all of daddy, and there's nothing left for you.”

Little Sarah dropped her little lips down, here little brown eyes kind of watering. She turned to go away. I winked at her and motioned my finger, and stuck my other leg out. Here she come, all smiles, and jumped up on that leg. She couldn't hold herself; she couldn't touch the ground.

You know, they get a little up-side topsy-turvy sometime when they get drunk on the Spirit, you know—but as long as they're there.

So I just took both arms (I had to to hold her on my leg, she was too short, she hadn't growed enough.) and I hugged her up close to me. And she rolled that little head around, them little black eyes stuck out and looked at Becky. She said, “Rebekah, my sister, I want to tell you something too.” Said, “It may be true that you got here first. And it may be true that you've got all of daddy. But I want you to know one thing: Daddy's got all of me.”

So that's the way I feel about this religion. I don't know all the ins and outs maybe of the Bible. I know the Author of the Bible real well. And just as long as He's got all of me, that's all I care for. If I'm so completely surrendered to Him and to His will, that He can work His works, let the world say what they want to.

And she will rise in the day of the judgment and condemn this generation, for she came from the utmost parts of the world to hear the wisdom of Solomon, a gift. And yet I say unto you that a greater than Solomon is here.

Let us pray. Precious Lord, we are now standing at a crossroads. We've been brought to a place to whether it is ... we must accept it or discard it. We cannot go out the doors of this place tonight as we were when we come in. We either go out better or worse. Lord, grant that every man and woman in here will go out filled with the Holy Spirit, go back to their home church and be a real Christian in it. Grant it, Lord.

And now, as Brother DuPlessis has been speaking, and we have told of the great Messiahic gift, the last sign to the church that was to appear just before the judgment, I pray, God, that You'll make Yourself known to this church tonight that You are not dead, but You are alive; and the God that they worship, the Jesus that they love, is walking side by side with them, and knows the very thoughts of their heart.

And when we shall close the service tonight, may all unbelievers or so forth come forward and give their hearts to Thee. And as we go on our roads home, may we say like those who came from Emmaus on that first resurrection morning.... After Jesus had gotten them together and closed the door, He did something just the way He did it before His crucifixion. They knew that no man did it that way but Him. And they understood, and their eyes opened, and He vanished out of their sight. And they said as they hurried back to tell the others, “Did not our hearts burn within us as He talked to us along the way?”

Once more, Lord, in this great church of Angelus Temple, I pray, God, that You will once more, tonight, come into our midst so real and so tangible that every person in here may see You do the works that You did before Your crucifixion, that they might know their God lives. Heal the sick, save the lost. And may we all commit ourselves to Thy Spirit, that we might be instruments that He might work through us. We ask it in Jesus' name. Amen.

Jesus said in one case, “If I do not the works of my Father who sent me, don't believe me.”

Now, I want you to know clearly that I am not a divine healer, and I don't believe there's one in the world. I believe that divine healing is on the same basis of salvation. Jesus Christ paid the price of sin at Calvary, and you cannot touch sin unless you touch sickness, because sickness is an attribute of sin: maybe not what you done, but what someone done before you. Because we never had no sickness until we had sin. When sin came, sickness followed it. And that's true.

How can you preach the gospel of salvation and then deny divine healing, has been more than I ever could understand. Jesus died at Calvary; every sin was settled. The only thing you do now is look and live. Believe it. He was wounded for our transgressions, with His stripes you were healed.

If I had power to heal anybody, I certainly would do it. I sure would. I know what is means to be sick. I have no power to heal. No other man does. If he does, then what happened to Calvary?

God cannot do anything twice. By His stripes you were healed. If He stood here tonight with this suit that He gave me, He could do not one thing toward your healing unless you believed it. He proved it in the Scriptures: “Many mighty works he could not do, because of their unbelief.” It's the same tonight. He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. But those who believe, could.

Now, the main thing is this. If we can ... He will come in our midst and prove that He's in our midst, then that gives every person an opportunity to look and live.

I believe I heard Brother Shakarian, a few moments ago as I come up, speaking about the Caribbean Islands where we just left. And that judge that morning was standing there talking, and Sally Olson was interpreting to give him the message, so astonished. Said it was ... “When this Brother Branham leaves, God don't leave the island.” Said, “He put all the emphasis on God.”

And when the meeting was over, they took carloads of little old carts and wheels that they'd drove together to bring their loved ones on, crutches and clubs, laying covered all over the fields where they just got up and left them.

And here we sit here tonight in America. We ought to be ashamed of ourselves! If we ... the trouble I've.... I feel more sorry for America than anywhere else, because they don't know which way to turn. This one's saying this and that one's saying that.

Jesus said, “Let every man's word be a lie and mine be the truth.” He is a-living! He died, He rose again, He's alive forevermore! He's the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Now, we're late. Tomorrow night by this time, we expect to be gone—Sunday night. I'm kind of ashamed. I've got a.... The Lord has given me, rather, a way that I could operate my ministry a little different than what I used to: that is, that the visions just come, and then I let it go till I strike another one that really needs it, and then let it go to that one, and then go on till I see someone really in need, or some sin hanging on the person, then I stop that one.

But I don't believe my ministry of the first type—to take the line and search it by the Holy Spirit—has ever been done here. So being it won't take very long for that, let's have it that way tonight. And then tomorrow night, I'll start my new ministry that the Lord give me.

Now, last evening, before we had had anybody here—so anyone would see that the prayer card don't have nothing to do with the healing of the person—the great Holy Spirit come down and went over this building, telling, talking to the people, telling them just what it was, and healing the people. How many was here to witness it? Raise your hands. That was before anything ever happened.

How many's here that's never been in one of my meetings before, raise your hands. Near half the congregation.

Now, I claim that Jesus ... that the coming of the Lord is near. The last sign that's ever showed to any generation before the chaos has ... before the destructions happen, the Messiahic sign is given to that people. It was given to Abraham before the destruction of Sodom. It was given to the Jews before God turned from them. It was given to the Samaritans before God turned from them.

And now, there's one generation, one people left from Ham, Shem, and Japheth's people: that's the Gentiles. We've had two thousand years of theology. We've had healings. We've had miracles all down through there. But now we're at the end time. The Messiah is drawing closer. The hour is at hand.

I know that you've had so many sensations and things, till it seems like they don't catch it, like the baby. Open up your understandings tonight before God and let Him move upon you.

If God can prove to be here, the resurrection of Jesus Christ, that He is in this building, and He is with His people, how much more would you want? It ought to make you to throw your crutches down, jump from your wheelchairs, get out of here, go on the street tomorrow saying, “Did not our hearts burn within us as the Holy Spirit spoke to us tonight?”

Don't wait. Satan can make you put it off till tomorrow night, that's just one night longer, and that much harder to get to it. Believe it right now. If you'll believe, you shall receive. And if the Lord Jesus will appear in our midst to these hundreds and hundreds of people sitting here tonight, and will perform and do just like He did before He was crucified, how many will say, “It'll settle it with me forever, that Jesus Christ is alive, and I will take Him as my Saviour?” Raise your hands, will you? Thank you.

And radio audience, I wish you could be here to see this great massive people sitting here with their hands up, witnessing that they would accept the Lord Jesus. Maybe some of them are sinners. Some of them...

What is sin? Why, a person can be just as loyal to church as they can be, a member of the finest church in Los Angeles, and still be a sinner. A preacher can stand behind the pulpit and preach a gospel message that would shake the whole audience, and still be a sinner. Sin is unbelief. If you believe Him not, you're condemned already.

Now, I believe the boys told me there that they gave out one bunch of prayer cards this afternoon. We want to stand them up, so it'll be reverent. Everybody has a chance to get the prayer card, get into line. Now, Brother Duffield or any of the pastors here didn't give out those prayer cards; these boys give them out. They stand up here and mix them up before you, and then come out and give anybody a card that wants one.

Therefore, if you're from the Temple or.... Your pastor had nothing to do it, or neither did Brother Duffield, or anyone here at this church, or any other church. They just give it out, and you come as you're called. It's not a push, and a shove, and a fuss, and so forth. This is a house of God. It's not an arena.

I've seen them when you try to take six rows of men in India, where nearly five hundred thousand had gathered. And they'd break through those lines and jump over one another, run through the legs of the officers trying to get through. Why, you couldn't preach or pray for the sick like that; there's too much confusion. The Holy Spirit is timid. Everything must be decently and in order for the Holy Spirit.

Was that.... Prayer cards L was give out. And we're going to start at number 1, and line up as many as we can. Let's see. I believe it'd be just as easy for them to come this a-way.

Who has prayer card number 1? Raise up your hand. A lady, come right here. Number 2, raise up your hand. All right, sir. Number 3. Come right down here, lady, if you will. That's right, right along front of the.... Number 3, raise up your hand. Way back in the back. Now, just wait till your number is called. Number 4, raise up your hand. Back over here. [Blank spot on tape.] Fifteen minutes now.

Do you realize that this, now, what I have preached about, what you've heard about, what the Bible has told, it's either got to be proven now to be the truth or it's wrong? Now comes the showdown. Is Christ alive? If He is, He will make Hisself known.

To you Pentecostal people, did not Jesus say ... or, Paul (I beg your pardon) Paul said to the Corinthian church, “If all speak with tongues and one come in unlearned, they'll say you're mad. But if one prophesies and reveals the secret of the heart, then they'll fall down and say, 'God is with you.'” How many knows the Bible says that? Raise your hands. Sure. See, how could you say it was something else when Paul, and Jesus, and the Holy Spirit just keeps going on with it.

Now, to you that's in the prayer line, how many of you know that I do not know you or know nothing about you—your cause? Raise your hands, will you? All right. Every one of them. I don't see a person there that I've ever seen in my life. Now again, so the audience—visible audience—can see it. Every one of you in the prayer line that knows that I do not know you, or know what's wrong with you, or know your desires, or what you're here for, raise up your hands again. All right. You see it? All right.

Now, neither do you out there. The only person.... I thought I seen Brother Julius Stadsklev here somewhere. I guess it was this afternoon, he was sitting along here somewhere.

Now, here is a showdown now for the next few minutes. Now, remember, it's not me. Now, just be seated. Keep your seats, and be real quiet just for a moment. Now, it's not me. I don't know these people; those people don't know me. My hand is before God. I don't know a one of them. And they raised their hands the same. They don't know me; I don't know them. So something's got to take place if these Scriptures are made true. All right.

Now, this is a woman coming here now. I suppose that mike is alive there too, is it? You can stand right there then, lady.

Now, here we are meeting, a man and a women, the first time in life to meet. I do not know her, never seen her. I suppose this maybe the first time we've ever come this close together unless ... knowing in our life. If that's right, raise up your hand. That's right. The first time we've ever met. All right.

But she's here for some cause. Now, what can happen? What can Jesus do with this? When I've already said, if she's sick, “By His stripes she was healed.” But He's still the same Jesus yesterday, today, and forever.

One time—in Saint John 4—this come together again, a man and a woman. Jesus met the woman of Samaria, and she ... He asked her for a drink. You know the story. And Jesus kept talking to her till He found out what her trouble was. How many knows what her trouble was? She had five husbands, living with the sixth one. And when He told her that, she said, “I perceive that you are a prophet. We know when the Messiah cometh, he will tell us theses things.” That was the sign of the Messiah.

If He's the same Messiah today.... He's gone away and the body of flesh—Jesus—was crucified. God raised it up and set it on His throne. But the Spirit that was in Him has come back upon His church. And it's a yielding to the Holy Spirit.

I don't know her; she don't know me. Now, if she believes.... All right. She might be a critic. She might be a hypocrite. She might be a Christian. She might be sick. She might need finances, spiritual aid. I don't know nothing about her. If she's a critic, watch what happens to her in the next few minutes. You've been in meetings before, you, and seen what happened then. Now, here's where the.... That's another Ananias and Sapphira case.

But now, I will speak to her just like our Lord spoke to that woman till He found her trouble. Then if.... Let her be the judge. Now, if I walked up and said, “Sister, you're sick,” that might be right, might be wrong.

If she said, “Yes, of course he knowed I was sick, I'm in the prayer line,” (well, it could be that she wasn't sick) and laid my hands on her, said, “Praise the Lord, you're going to get well,” well, she should believe that. But what if the Holy Spirit comes here, and goes back down her life, and tell her what she has been? Now, she knows whether that's the truth or not. And if He knows what has been, surely He will know what will be. You believe that?

I just want to talk to the woman just a moment. Being that this is our first time meeting.... And you're quite sure that there's something taking place, because standing before a man wouldn't make you feel as you're feeling now. Did you ever see that picture of the Angel of the Lord, that Light, over where I was standing, that they taken? In Phoenix, Arizona. You saw it. All right. That same light is between you and I now.

Now, if that is the same Pillar of Fire that led the children of Israel, He come and was made flesh. He said, “I came from God, and I go back to God.” After His death, burial, and resurrection, and ascension, He met Paul on the road to Damascus. And what was He back again? That Pillar of Fire. Put Paul's eye's out, made him blind for a season. And He said, “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?”

He said, “Who are you, Lord?”

He said, “I'm Jesus,” the Pillar of Fire.

Now, if the life of the vine produces something here, it's got to produce the same fruit here. Then if the Holy Spirit is in here, it'll.... That same Pillar of Fire that's standing between you and I now, you being a woman and me a man, and if It can reveal to me what you're here for, then God's interested in taking care of your needs. Is that right? Now, you be the judge.

If the audience still hears my voice.... The woman seems to be going from me. And she's suffering with a nervous condition. That's what she wants me to pray for. And that nervous condition causes a smothering around your heart; you congest, can't breathe; you've been to the hospital. That's true. If that's true, raise up your hand. Now, what do you believe did that?

Is He the same yesterday, today, and forever? I catch that feeling from somewhere, that you thought I guessed that. I did not guess that.

Let me speak to her again. I do not know what I told you, for it wasn't me speaking. I don't know you. But Something was using my lips to speak, told you the truth. If that's right, you be the judge. Raise your hand if that's right, told you the truth. All right. Yes. The woman, it's her.... It's a man. It's her husband. He's suffering also. He's here. That's right. If I tell you what's wrong with your husband, will you believe it's the Holy Spirit speaking? He has arthritis. That's right. And you got daughter here also. You believe God can tell me what's wrong with your daughter? She's got a back trouble and weakness. That's right, isn't it? They're both going to be well, and so are you. Go on your road home; Jesus Christ makes you well. The Lord bless you.

Do you believe that the Son of God has risen from the dead, and He's here tonight in the form of the Holy Ghost? Now, He's just willing to do for you as He does here. Believe Him. Have faith.

Now, the woman standing here is also a stranger. I do not know you. You don't know me, no more than you know me just by reading, or something like that. That's right. Now, if the Holy Spirit will reveal to me what you're here for, will you believe it to be Him? You'll know it'll have.... You'll know it will. That's fine. The lady is suffering with a high blood pressure. I see them put that around your arm, and pump that little thing up. And it said that it was too much even for your age. And your eyes are bad. Another thing, if you pointed your finger toward your eyes then, and it might make a slip for someone to the people out there that they might think that I said that, but I seen that anyhow. Let's stop again and talk a minute.

There's something wrong with your throat also. And your throat stops up, and you have to take some kind of drug to open it up. Yes. And then you have another thing, something about your ... it's a swallowing, or something. If You'll believe with all your heart, your high blood pressure, and everything will leave you, and you can go and be made well. Do you believe it? Go and rejoice, and say, “Thank you, Lord Jesus. Amen.” All right.

Do you believe with all your heart? We are strangers. You have a growth too. And that growth is on a female gland—your ovary, says your doctor. That's right. If that's true, raise your hand.

Somebody praying out there. I can't see.... One vision will break, and it's just breaking from everywhere. It's your faith that's a-doing it. Just like the woman that touched the garment of the Lord Jesus. She pulled from Him, see.

I'm trying to confine to speaking to you alone. Whatever He told you was the truth. That's right. Oh, I see now, an examination. Shows that it was a ... pending an operation for a growth on an ovary. May I tell you this, then you know whether I'm telling the truth or not, if you believe me to be His prophet, His servant. You got someone on your heart you're praying for. If you'll believe with all your heart, to.... Looked like a man that has a polioed condition. If you believe with all your heart, and will accept the Lord Jesus, and believe that He will do it, it'll all be settled for you. You can go home and be well. You believe that? Go and be made well in the name of the Lord Jesus. All right.

Come forward. Do you believe? Here's something: I saw a vision a few moments ago of a woman having something wrong with the throat. It's this woman here. She's had an operation for it.

Do you believe that God will hear and answer prayer for you? You do believe it. Margaret, that's your name. You're a lady preacher. Go on your road and rejoice. God's going to make you well. Amen. God bless you, Sister.

I suppose we're strangers to each other. God knows you; do you believe that? If God will reveal to me what you're here for, will you accept Him as your healer and Saviour? You suffer with something in your blood, a diabetes. That's right. And you have heart trouble. And you are a lady preacher, also. And may you know this, and you'll know whether it's true or not: You got a husband at home suffering with the same thing, that can't hardly move around with the same thing. Believe it with all your heart, go home and both of you get well in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Go, and may God be with you.

If thou canst believe! All things are possible to them that believe. Do you believe that? Do you believe His presence is here? Jesus said, “If you can believe, all things are possible.”

Now, here stands a woman. She's a colored woman. Here's a perfect picture of Saint John 4. Do you believe God can reveal to me what your trouble is? You do. Well, you're not from this city; you've come from the south coming this a-way. You're from Long Beach. That's right. You got an enlarged heart. Go home and tell Jess and them it's all right. If thou canst believe. Now, I don't know the woman; that's the Holy Spirit that says those things.

You might criticize that woman. But if you'd been healed of something like that, you'd shout too, if you had been. Isn't that something! If you'd believe with all your heart, you'd have another Azusa Street revival. That lady's gone for Long Beach to spread the news just as hard as she can.

I keep feeling it coming that I'm reading the people's mind. I'm not.

Come here, lady. I don't know you. Just put your hand on mine for a point of contact. I never seen you in my life. If I look this a-way and tell you what your trouble is, will you ... you'll know whether it's the truth or not, won't you. All right. It's a lady's trouble—female trouble. If that's right, raise your hand. It's left you now. Go home and be well. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now, come here, lady. Out here in the audience, be reverent just a moment. Lay your hand.... It's a tumor. You're ready for operation. You believe the Lord will make you well? If you do, raise your hand. All right, raise up your hand and believe Him. Go on your road and rejoice then. Be happy. Believe Him with all your heart.

Look this way, lady. That old asthma about kills you sometimes; you can't hardly breathe at night. Go home, believe the Lord Jesus and get well. Believe with all your heart, and you'll be made well.

You have a serious condition, a heart trouble. You believe that Jesus will make you well? Go rejoicing and say, “Thank You, Lord Jesus,” and you shall get well.

All right. Come, lady. Do you believe that this anemic condition is going to leave you and Jesus Christ will make you well from anemia? Go rejoicing, and be happy. And thank the Lord.

You're shadowed for death, because darkness is around you. Cancer. But will you believe that God will make you well? You accept it? Go home and rejoice, and say, “Thank you, Lord Jesus, for making me well.”

See, it's your faith that does it. Amen. Have faith. Sure.

You believe that He makes you well now? Just go on your road with.... That's the way, and rejoice.

Come. You're fixing for an operation for a tumor. Do you believe God will take it away from you? Go and rejoice. According to your faith, so be it unto you.

Come lady. You want to go eat your supper now and get over that stomach trouble? Go eat your supper then in the name of the Lord Jesus and be made well. You believe it with all your heart. You shall receive it. Amen. May the Lord grand it.

All right, Sister. When I said stomach trouble to her, something happened to you. A little cold feeling went through you. You were healed. Go on your road and be made well.

Your back trouble has left you. It did you when you were sitting down here awhile ago when I was preaching. Go on your road and be made well in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Nervous heart. But Jesus will heal you. You believe He will make you well? Go on your road and rejoice and be made well.

What do you think about it, young lady? Why, it's for the baby. Do you believe me to be God's prophet, the servant of God? That baby's in a terrible condition. I don't know you; you don't know me. But do you believe God can reveal to me the trouble with that baby? It's just a baby. You believe it, sir? Will you both serve God with all your hearts? How many will believe if God will make known to that baby? The baby's blind. That's true. I can't see its eyes. Maybe you'd know this. The baby went blind because of some disease the mother had before the baby was born, while she was pregnant with the baby. That's right. Measles. Go on your road and rejoice, and believing the baby will receive its sight. If you can believe.

Have faith in God. All right, your back trouble is gone. Go on your road and rejoice, and be happy thanking the Lord Jesus.

Arthritis will never kill you if you'll believe God. Go on your road and rejoice, and say, “Thank You, Lord Jesus, for Your goodness.”

Come. A female trouble—a lady's trouble. You believe with all your heart? Go on your road and rejoice and be happy, and say “Thank You, Lord Jesus.”

Heart trouble. Do you believe that God will heal you of heart trouble? You got other things too, but that's the main thing that's bothering you. Go on your road rejoicing.

Your back was healed while you was standing in the line. Go on your road rejoicing, and thank God.

Do the rest of you believe with all your heart? He's God! Every one of you is healed right now, if you'll believe it! Do you believe it?

Let us bow our heads just a moment. That same God that heals the sick, saves the soul. If there's a person here in Divine Presence that's convinced that the Holy Spirit is confirming His Word, raise up your hand, say, “I want to accept Him.” That's wonderful. Thank you. How many sinners are here that did not believe, and now you do believe, raise up your hand—unbelievers that now believe? That's fine. Dozens and dozens of hands up.

I want to ask you something. Would you walk right here? If God will hear my prayer, and will answer for these people that's afflicted, and so forth, won't He hear for your condition? Come forward just now and stand here just a minute. Let's have prayer together. Will you do it? Come out. Raise right out of your seats. Stand up, all you that desire to be prayed for for these things, like a ... it's a soul's conditions, spiritual conditions, sinners that wants to be saved, come forward here just a moment. Come up here in the presence of Almighty God. Not because He isn't back there, but here's His vision.

Something stopped me. I was going to call some more of them prayer cards, but something said, “Call that line to repentance!” How do I know that a preacher isn't walking down the aisle at this time that'll be the one that God will use in these last days? How do I know that right in this building tonight is not something that God's calling for? Sure He is, or He wouldn't have stopped that prayer line.

Come forward now to accept the Messiah. Accept Him as your Messiah. You Jewish people, get up and come down here! You've always said if Jesus could prove that He was the resurrected, and would do the sign of the prophet, you would believe Him. Now Jesus is here. This is not me; I'm a poor man, uneducated. But the Messiah is here. Hallelujah! Thanks be to God. Come forward!

Come, all you souls of sin oppressed—there's mercy with the Lord. Come now while you're in His presence. Kneel around the altar here, all you people that wants to give your lives to the Lord Jesus while He's present, while the Holy Ghost is here present now. I don't know what He will do in a few minutes, for something told me to stop that prayer line and make that call.

That's right. Come on down out of the balconies everywhere. Walk down here just now, you that's not right with the Lord, and be reconciled to God. One of these nights, you're going to be called upon by the angel of death. Then this Angel that's here tonight, the Holy Spirit, you're going to call for Him, but He might do the same thing that you probably will do now, just sit still. You move now; He will move then. God bless you. (Come right on down this way boys, and help them down in there if you will.) Come right on out of the balconies now if you will. Where's Billy? Got a song? Sing “Just As I Am.”

Are you here without Christ tonight? Are you going to walk away from these doors here in the Presence of Christ after He's been offered to you, and proven Himself alive, knowing the secrets of your heart? Don't you realize that's Him that's speaking to you now?

Many of you church members sitting here, you members of the church, that's professing Christianity and living a upside-down life (up on the mountain top, down in the valley, can never be stable), why don't you come right now? Why don't you come? This is your opportunity to come. Come on now. Will you come while we sing again?

Come on, lukewarm church members. Come, receive Christ. Be filled with the Spirit. You that's thirsting for the Holy Ghost, will you come now while the Holy Ghost is present, who knows your hearts? Just come, stand around the altar here a minute.

Did you think, friends, the presence of the Holy Spirit, the Jesus that raised from the dead, nineteen hundred years has been moving in and out among the people on earth, and is here tonight, performing, doing, and fulfilling His promise that He made, moving upon the people. Can't you come and dedicate your life to Him anew again? Won't you come and make yourself known around the altar of God? This is for you, sinner friend. This is for you, lukewarm church....